What kind of disease gives weakness and hypersensitivity and lack of stamina?

[mcabel]

Hi. My mate has the following symptoms: hypersensitivity to stimulus: taste, noise, pain, stress; it's very generalized and it's both physical and mental, but I guess it's predominantly physical. She's fine with vitamin D and thyroid testing and her bloodwork seems essentially healthy. Blood pressure is a bit on the low side, but within normal range.

She also has low grip strength and low strength in general. Exercise does not seem to improve muscle mass much and no increase of stamina over time. This condition has been present since birth, apparently, but it's more noticeable during work life. She's also always tired regardless of rest. She has tried a cpap machine which improved sleep, but only marginally(well adjusted and calibrated to her needs).

Things hurt her more easily than others. What may seem like a touch to most, might feel like a slap to her.

[specialmom]

Interesting.  My son was diagnosed with something called sensory integration disorder.  He's sensitive to taste, touch, smell, light, distraction, stress and has trouble with motor skills at times, sleep and anxiety.  Sound familiar?  It involves the nervous system and how the brain communicates through the nerves.  The wrong signals get sent at times.  My son did occupational therapy for 6 years with a recent tune up (diagnosed very young and is now a teenager).  Things that help are what they call heavy work input. This is something like lifting some weights (a 5 pound dumbell, for example but even carrying heavy laundry basket, some books across the room, pushing something heavy across the floor like a couch or chair), things like swimming which has deep pressure and also work so is really soothing and healing to the nervous system, laying on the floor face down and gently pushing pillows onto them helps.  But it's ongoing.  Have to incorporate it into the routine.  Chewing thick bubble gum or eating licorice gives the heavy work input, believe it or not.  Any jumping activity like jumping jacks or a little at home, small exercise trampoline helps.  My son has touch issues and did brush therapy.  It worked really well.  They use (and we did it at home when they taught us) a hospital baby hair brush or scrub brush (both work, they are plastic with soft bristles, does not look like a hair brush  Here's a link (copy and paste) to what I'm talking about   https://specialsupplies.com/sensory-brushes?_vsrefdom=adwords&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6575BRCQARIsAMp-ksNB79ry_2tSkXA00q--ZNtPNar2dB3W4ILlanWiuXzNIj9gU_GB0loaAl84EALw_wcB )  It's called the wilbarger protocol.  It definitely helped desensitize my son to touch.  

I'm happy to talk more about this for you, we've been dealing with it for a decade.

[mcabel]

Thanks for your reply. This sounds rather familiar, so we'll look into it as a possible candidate. Although, her condition seems in some ways less severe than what google describes. Do you know if there are "degrees of severity" in which some patients are affected more strongly or less than others? I don't think she'll scream when touched, but she's definitively feeling more hurt than she should be. Also her feeling does not appear to be merely sensorial, since she would easily bruise and may hurt her hands by opening a bottle of water(she's an adult, so opening a bottle should not be an issue normally). She can barely push the button of a sun lotion spray and a kitchen knife feels very "heavy" to her.

About the heavy work input, would it be something like weightlifting or "elastic bands weightlifting"? What effect does that provide and how long would it take to see some effects? I appreciate your input.

[specialmom]

Yes, there are absolutely different levels. It's on a continuum.  My son is mild but impacted.  He is in regular school, always has been.  Most don't know he has a delay but just that he is a little awkward at times and acts odd.  He hides it.  In a sports game, someone may come up and pat his back.  He tries not to wince but I, as his mom, see it.  She sounds low tone as well.  She will need to work on that.  DON'T do things for her.  Get her a stress ball that is firm and she has to keep squeezing it.  Get her silly putty.  That type of thing strengthens those hands!

[Paxiled]

This sounds like it can be a lot of different things at the same time, which will make it hard to diagnose.  My wife has a similar problem with pain and has very weak wrists and ankles, or, she believes she does and therefore does.  But she doesn't have any of the other things.  Some people don't show muscle gain, they just don't.  Others get incredibly quick increase in muscle size.  My wife got me into the gym lifting weights, it wasn't something I did.  She had been doing it for a long time, but doesn't look like it.  I started getting much larger muscles right away.  I have no idea why this is.  But it just is.  But muscle definition is just cosmetic, some of the strongest people on Earth don't look at all cut, they often look overweight and fleshy and then you see them pulling a truck.  I'd definitely look into the above,. but I'd also look into everything else, as well, including the mental side of things, as the list you have put up here seems to go in different directions.